I've never had a collie, but I decided once, that I would buy the grooming equipment and "shave" my cocker spaniel, myself. Wrong idea!!! I bought the cheap, KMart brand, and it took four hours, and poor Kaycee looked like she had been through a bad experiment. All I can say is if you want to try yourself, I'd start with barber's scissors, and go slowly! That's what I'm doing with my Golden Retrievers now!

I know that there are others on this board who successfully groom, so heed their advice and you'll probably be fine!